A Contemporary Chicago Penthouse With Vintage Antiques

They say the hallmark of a great designer is the ability to mix styles in seamlessly unexpected ways: modern art among antiques, clean-lined furniture with whimsical touches. If this is the case, then designer and homeowner Britt Taner delivers juxtaposition at its finest in her two-story penthouse in Chicago’s Ambassador West building. Situated in the Gold Coast neighborhood, akin to New York’s Upper East Side, the landmark building features a 1920s brick and limestone façade that belies Taner’s contemporary interior. Filled with eye catching art, vintage antiques and ultramodern details, the home reflects Taner and her family’s “fun, full-of-energy and happy personalities,” she says.

Prior to purchasing the condominium, Taner, husband Kerim and their combined family of three girls were living in the suburb of Winnetka when the cultural verve of the city came calling. “Kerim desired more of a metropolitan life,” the designer says. Born and raised in Chicago, Taner was open to moving back to the city, “but needed to find a place worth moving to,” she says. “So we spent a year looking at real estate.” But after only a second look at this unit, with its 700-square-foot outdoor terrace and 12-to-13-foot-high ceilings, the couple was sold.